Skip to playerSkip to main content
AJ McKenzie
  • 2 days ago
reviled, egregiously misunderstood, Roger Eugene Maris
IG: aj_mckenzie416
Twitter: AJMckenzie94847
Transcript
00:02Manager Casey Stengel led his Yankees into the 1960 season, knowing just what the team
00:08needed, a left-hand power-hitting outfielder.
00:11Yankee scouts found Stengel's man in Kansas City, his name, Roger Marris.
00:18They really had designs on him for a long time when he was in Cleveland and Kansas City.
00:23They liked his bat, they liked the fact that he was a pull hitter in Yankee Stadium.
00:29I went home that winter, I'm watching the sports show, and Roger's picture came over
00:34the screen, and the Yankees had just acquired Roger Marris.
00:37And I told the wife, I'm going to buy a new car tomorrow, and she said, how do you plan
00:43to pay for it?
00:45Hey, it's the bonus check for playing in the World Series, that's how.
00:51I said, with the World Series in October.
00:53In his first game as a Yankee, he hit two home runs at Boston's Fenway Park.
00:58But it was Yankee Stadium that was home sweet home.
01:02Marris seemed to have the right stroke for Yankee Stadium.
01:06It was a perfect marriage of hitter to ballpark.
01:09In 1960, Roger was second in the league in home runs with 39.
01:14He led the AL in slugging percentage and RBIs.
01:17But there was another important dimension Marris brought to the Yankees.
01:21I think what Roger brought to the team was the development of Mickey Mantle as the leader.
01:27That was the most important thing that he contributed.
01:30He allowed Mantle to finally have a guy on his own team batting behind him who would take
01:37a lot of the pressure off Mantle to win every game.
01:41There was an article...
01:42Really?
01:43The Mantle didn't have enough help at the mound?
01:47How much more help could he need?
01:53He had Elston Howard too.
01:56...written about Roger Marris, and it was titled,
01:59Roger Marris rejuvenates the Yankees.
02:00And this article just went on to explain Roger Marris is the key.
02:07He's the ingredient that's going to turn this team around and put them back in the World Series.
02:15People do not realize what a sensational ball player Roger Marris was.
02:21I mean, he had a lot of tools, and we're not even talking about his home run hitting.
02:30...played 136 games and made just four errors.
02:34Remarkable, considering he had to adjust to the quirks of Yankee Stadium's right field.
02:40Drive to deep right to the field, way back there.
02:43And this ball is quad one-handed by Marris.
02:48That fence out there was only 35, 36 inches high,
02:52so he knew to go back to the 344 side and was able to rob home runs,
02:59balls that were heading into the stands.
03:02When he wasn't robbing homers, he was gunning down baserunners.
03:06His arm was being compared to some of the best in the game.
03:09The greatest throwing arm of any right fielder that I'd ever seen or played with,
03:13whether it's an all-star game or against the World Series,
03:15and I include the Roberto Clementes and the Calavitas and the Al-Kalines.
03:18And he would throw bullets to third base,
03:22and it was almost a picturesque play to see Cleek catch that ball from Roger
03:28and put the tag on a runner,
03:29and I saw a number of runners slide into third base
03:33and show shock on their faces.
03:37For a man his size, 210, 215 pounds, could fly.
03:41Great runner. Ran the bases outstandingly well.
03:46He was a phenomenal base runner.
03:49No one in baseball at that time broke up the double play better than Roger Maris.
03:55When he went into second base,
03:57a shortstop or the second baseman who was covering the bag
04:00knew that they had to get out of the way quickly.
04:08Roger collected a lot of...
04:09They're scared to even touch the base
04:11with Maris flying in like that.
04:14That's going to help the team out as an entirety.
04:20Hardware in 1960,
04:22he was the AL MVP,
04:23won a gold glove in the first of two Sultan of Swat awards.
04:27All this was fulfilling,
04:28but awards were never his main goal.
04:31The first thing Roger wanted to do,
04:33he wanted to get in every World Series.
04:37In the 1960 World Series,
04:39Roger Holmert in his first series at bat.
04:43But it was the last at bat by the Pirates
04:46that would settle this wild fall classic.
04:51Mazeroski has hit a 1-0 pitch
04:53over the left field fence at Ford Steel
04:55to win the 1960 World Series
04:57for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
04:59So the Yankees season ended on a sour note.
05:02But they would be back,
05:04and better than ever in 1961.
05:08Roger Maris was just getting started.
05:11Maris and home run leader Mickey Mantle
05:14ready to help the Yankees
05:16defend their American League pennant.
05:18Ralph Hout decided early on in spring training
05:21that he would get more out of both of them
05:25by batting Roger third and Mickey fourth.
05:30I got an awful lot of mail on that.
05:31There was a lot of fans and people
05:33that thought Mickey would hit more home runs
05:34if he hit the other way around.
05:37But there's one thing they forget,
05:39that behind him was Yogi and Howard and Blanchard.
05:43So it wouldn't have really made that much difference.
05:46What did make a difference for Maris
05:48was a precarious situation for his wife and family
05:51just as spring training started.
05:53I was expecting Randy,
05:55who was going to be my fourth child,
05:58and our car broke down in Dothan, Alabama.
06:01So by the time we got to spring training,
06:03I had lots of problems threatening miscarriage.
06:05And then I tried to go to New York
06:07to find a place to live,
06:08and that was really tough.
06:10When you have three little children,
06:11another one on the way,
06:12it's pretty hard to find a furnished place to rent.
06:15They kind of look at you like,
06:17who's coming up the walk?
06:19So instead,
06:21the Maris family returned to Kansas City,
06:23and the season opened in spectacular fashion.
06:29From the early going,
06:30it looked like Mantle might repeat
06:32as the league's top home run hitter.
06:35Well, Mickey got started off good that year,
06:37and Roger got started off
06:40not very good at all.
06:41I think he had one home run almost through April,
06:44and he was beginning to worry about
06:46it was time to be traded again,
06:48because he had been traded
06:50three times in three years.
06:53And then he got called into the office,
06:55and he said,
06:56oh, here I go again.
06:57Well, they just sat down and talked to him,
06:59told him, forget the average swing for the fences.
07:04Here's one, it is deep to right field,
07:07and that ball is going,
07:08going and air is gone.
07:10Near the midpoint of the season,
07:12both Mantle and Maris,
07:13dubbed the M&M boys by the press,
07:16were ahead of the Babes' record pace.
07:18Jewel was a real hot one.
07:20He hit 15 that one.
07:22It was during,
07:23he had one streak where he hit
07:26six homers in seven days,
07:28which was the first home run record
07:29he had ever broken.
07:31Roger Maris is possibly the next
07:33Yankee Babe Ruth of baseball.
07:34He's the head of the Immortal Babes'
07:36home run pace set back in 1927,
07:38when Mr. Baseball hit his record of 60.
07:41To watch Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle
07:43challenge for the home run mark,
07:46chase the ghost of Babe Ruth.
07:49And it did literally seem like
07:51every day that summer,
07:53one of those guys hit a home run.
07:55I couldn't wait to get to the park
07:58to get the game started fast enough,
08:00because I wanted to watch who was next.
08:03And it was really exciting for all of us.
08:08We had good seats.
08:09And then Mantle got hurt and topped out at 52.
08:14The M&M boys have become the biggest story of the summer.
08:18Mickey Mantle was the Yankees,
08:20and now he had a hard-hitting partner in Roger Maris.
08:25Maris probably had as much to do with making Mantle a hero
08:27in New York as anybody,
08:29because Maris was challenging the one record
08:32that I think most people didn't want broken.
08:34At the time, Mickey Mantle used to get booed a lot,
08:37but when Roger came over and they started going for the record,
08:40all of Mickey's boos went to cheers,
08:42and then Roger picked up on the boos.
08:45Like virtually every Yankee fan I knew,
08:49I rooted for Mantle.
08:50It wasn't that I disliked Maris,
08:52but Mantle was our guy.
08:54You could tell that they wanted, you know,
08:56Mickey to do it, and he understood that,
08:58but it was, I think it was hard too
09:01to not really have the backing of the fans.
09:09Ignore the boos
09:10and help the Yankees get back into familiar territory.
09:14Treat him like garbage,
09:16even though he brought the team back to the standard.
09:21He was the guy a lot better than Mantle off the field.
09:28He was doing what he was supposed to do.
09:34Roger, your bet has helped the Yankees
09:35move into first place this year.
09:37How do you feel about being with the first place New York Yankees?
09:40Well, Bob, it feels real good, I'd say.
09:43After playing on, well, a couple of second division ball clubs
09:46for the last three years,
09:47to be up with a ball club that's got possibilities
09:50of a pennant, it feels real good.
09:52Roger, he was interested in winning a pennant,
09:55and I don't really think he ever thought
09:57he had a shot at the record.
09:58I mean, you know, he's ahead of Babe Ruth's pace
10:00and all that, but I mean, in your mind,
10:02he keeps saying nobody's ever done it,
10:04nobody's ever done it.
10:05How about the home run situation, Roger?
10:07You're seven games ahead of Babe Ruth's record.
10:10Do you think that you can beat the Babe's record?
10:12Well, I don't think so, Bob.
10:14Of course, I'm not going to shoot for it.
10:16Babe had a real hot month in the month of September.
10:19He had, I think, 17 home runs,
10:21and that's quite a feat in the game itself,
10:24and I don't think I can break it.
10:26Chasing home run records was new territory for Roger,
10:30but he wasn't alone.
10:32Mantle was there almost every step of the way.
10:34Some saw it as a rivalry,
10:37but the reality was a close friendship.
10:39First of all, I think they both thought it was a lot of fun.
10:42They both respected each other, you know,
10:45for what they could do and what they did.
10:47They understood each other quite well
10:50and got along real well.
10:52Never anyone pulling against the other one
10:54or anything like that.
10:55You're just trying to win ballgames,
10:57and that's the way they both were.
10:58I think the proof of the pudding is
11:00that they roomed together for three or four months.
11:02It was Roger's idea.
11:03Roger and I would have lunch,
11:05and Roger said, let's take Mickey to the apartment.
11:08We picked up Mickey to St. Moritz,
11:10and beginning, he didn't like it.
11:11You know, Mickey was used to Broadway and so on,
11:14but he got adapted to it,
11:16and Mickey moved to him.
11:16There was a lot written,
11:18that we didn't like each other,
11:19that we argued a lot or fought a lot or something.
11:21That's the farthest...
11:22Complete bull.
11:24...thing from the truth.
11:25Roger did the cooking,
11:27which was not bad, not good,
11:29and they got it all great.
11:37Spent in Fargo, North Dakota,
11:39where Roger grew up in a very athletic family.
11:42Their dad had been a fine baseball coach
11:44and had done a very intense job,
11:47I think, with the boys,
11:48and they had the talent to follow through on it.
11:51During the summer,
11:52he was an American Legion baseball standout,
11:55but when it came to the school year,
11:57Roger was so serious about athletics,
11:59he transferred to Shanley High.
12:01In fact, he had a great football career,
12:03and that was pretty much why they switched.
12:07So, yeah, it kind of hurt the others
12:08at the public school,
12:09and they did switch.
12:10Roger not only got more playing time
12:12on Shanley's teams,
12:14but it was there that he would meet
12:15his future wife, Pat.
12:17Roger and I met in high school.
12:18I was in 9th grade,
12:20and he was in 10th grade.
12:21We met at a basketball game.
12:24One of the other students introduced us.
12:26With his sweetheart by his side,
12:28Roger became a football star
12:30and was recruited by the University of Oklahoma
12:33in his senior year.
12:35He did decide to go to Oklahoma
12:37to play football
12:38because he had a football scholarship there.
12:39But then when he got there,
12:40he also had a baseball contract
12:42waiting for him back,
12:43and he just decided college wasn't for him
12:45and went back and signed the baseball contract.
12:47Cleveland came calling,
12:49and Roger's pro career would begin in 1953
12:52on his own terms.
12:54He got to play minor league ball
12:56in his hometown.
12:58I forget now where they were going to send him,
13:00but he asked if he just couldn't come back
13:01and play in his hometown,
13:03and they really didn't like to do that
13:05because I thought players wouldn't do as well,
13:07but he did.
13:08Roger quickly shot up the ranks
13:10of the Cleveland minor league system.
13:12Meanwhile, things were getting interesting
13:14in his personal life as well.
13:18He had played four years in the minor leagues
13:20before we got married,
13:22and then they had won the Little World Series
13:24in Indianapolis,
13:25and so we had $300,
13:27so we got married.
13:29And then he made Cleveland the next year.
13:32Married?
13:33He's like 19.
13:35So I told him it's because he married me
13:37and he made the majors.
13:38Roger had a solid rookie season
13:40for the 57 Indians.
13:41The young outfielder played the game hard,
13:44maybe a little too hard.
13:45Oh, he's in his early 20s.
13:47He's barely college age.
13:51As injuries would limit him to 116 games.
13:54He did live up to the Indians' expectations,
13:57but in a calculated move the next season,
14:00Cleveland traded him to Kansas City.
14:03When Cleveland traded Roger to Kansas City,
14:06I think what they were saying was,
14:08we don't want to be embarrassed in Cleveland
14:10with our fans trading this great potential home run hitter
14:14to the Yankees,
14:15and then, of course,
14:15having the Yankees beat us again
14:17with a guy that we had.
14:19It was June of 58
14:20when Roger arrived in Kansas City,
14:22a place that felt like home.
14:25But the A's were a team known to deal
14:27a lot of their prospects to the Yankees.
14:29He went to Kansas City,
14:31and that became a much more comfortable place for him,
14:34and it was very little press attention.
14:37Kansas City's a great town.
14:39I don't, you know,
14:40there were great people there,
14:41so they really made you feel at home,
14:43and he loved playing in Kansas City.
14:46We kind of thought
14:47when we got traded to Kansas City
14:48that that would be home for a while.
14:50It was a year and a half,
14:52and that was all.
14:54But as many suspected all along,
14:56the Yankee Scouts would have their way
14:58after a short stint in Kansas City.
15:01Roger and his family learned
15:02Kansas City isn't too, too far from Fargo.
15:07He was headed for the Bronx.
15:09We weren't real thrilled at first
15:11because we thought we'd be there
15:13maybe for a few years.
15:16So we were kind of...
15:16Not thrilled about going to the Yankees.
15:19They're the Yankees.
15:21Hello?
15:22Hello?
15:24Like the dynasty here.
15:26I'm kind of upset about that,
15:28but then he knew that
15:29it would be probably a good move for him.
15:33Coming up next, Thornton.
15:35I joined the team in this season.
15:38The only instructions I had
15:39were I had to write about
15:41Madeline Maris every day,
15:43something about them,
15:44whether they hit a home run
15:46or struck out four times.
15:47You've got to understand
15:48the world was changing.
15:49It was becoming a media society.
15:52One of the great early events
15:54of the media society
15:55was the Maris Mantle Home Run Derby.
15:58The big Yankee news is
16:00Maris 56, Mantle 53,
16:02and a goal of 60,
16:03New York's Common Play.
16:05Becoming a media society.
16:07Mary could have been a media society
16:09since the 20s.
16:12How else do people think
16:14Babe Ruth became
16:17as famous as he was?
16:20It wasn't telegrams.
16:25Maris is becoming a media figure
16:27and he hates it.
16:28All your time before the ball game
16:30is spent with the photographers
16:31and after the ball game
16:33it's the writers
16:33and before the game
16:35it's the writers.
16:36As the pressure mounted,
16:37so did the expectations
16:39and the comparisons
16:41to the legendary
16:43Babe Ruth.
16:44Babe Ruth was the most
16:46charismatic character
16:47in the history of baseball.
16:48open, funny, loud,
16:51an American icon.
16:53Roger Maris
16:54neither had that personality
16:56nor had that character.
16:59I don't think I've
17:01really had Mr. Ruth
17:03on my mind at the time.
17:04I was trying to hit the ball
17:05and hit it solid.
17:06We were disappointed,
17:08we the press,
17:09because Roger wasn't
17:11what we wanted him to be.
17:13And Roger was simply
17:14being honest to himself.
17:17I don't care what you want him to be.
17:21I don't know what kind of statement that is.
17:25All that matters is
17:27that he is a
17:28half-decent human
17:29and
17:31a great baseball player.
17:39He's forced Mantle
17:40out of the race
17:41in mid-September.
17:42Roger then
17:43had to face
17:43the strain
17:44by pursuing
17:45Ruth's record
17:46on his own.
17:48Maris's hair
17:49indeed,
17:50some people think
17:51that's a myth.
17:52His hair did fall out
17:53in clumps
17:54and patches
17:55from the tension,
17:56from the strain.
17:59And it's number 58
18:01for Roger Maris's
18:0358th home run
18:05of the year.
18:07Commissioner Ford Frick
18:08announced that
18:09Ruth's record
18:10would only fall
18:11if a player could hit
18:12more than 60 homers
18:13in the same number
18:14of games as Ruth,
18:16154.
18:17This was the controversy
18:19of the famous
18:20asterisk,
18:21which was never actually
18:22used in the record books.
18:24Thanks to Frick's ruling,
18:25the pressure on Roger
18:27was the heaviest
18:28on the day
18:28of the 154th game.
18:30He had 58 home runs
18:32and the tension
18:33at Baltimore's
18:34Memorial Stadium
18:35was palpable.
18:37The 154th game
18:39was the weirdest
18:39night I ever spent
18:40in a ballpark
18:41and I spent many of them.
18:43It was eerie.
18:45People seem to be
18:46walking on tiptoes.
18:48He's sitting in the clubhouse.
18:49Everybody's afraid
18:50to talk to him.
18:51It's like yesterday
18:51that I see him
18:53walk into my office
18:54and say,
18:54Skip,
18:55I just can't
18:55make it tonight.
18:56We discussed it
18:58and I said,
18:58you know,
18:59Roger,
18:59the stands are
18:59full of people.
19:00I said,
19:01they're out there,
19:01a lot of them,
19:02just because of you.
19:03So he said,
19:04okay.
19:05So he went out
19:06to play right field
19:07and when he come in,
19:08I just,
19:09he didn't look at me
19:10and I didn't look at him
19:12and I just left him in.
19:14And it's a good thing
19:15Hauk did leave
19:16Roger in the game
19:17as number 59
19:18came on his second at bat.
19:22There's one.
19:23It is going.
19:23It is going.
19:25It is gone.
19:27Number 59.
19:28The standard
19:29of baseball excellence
19:31from 1927 on,
19:3460 home runs
19:35was on his bat.
19:37But on that damp night
19:39in Baltimore,
19:40number 60
19:41was not meant to be.
19:43Maris' big night
19:43ended
19:44with a check swing
19:45dribbler back to the mound.
19:47You could almost
19:48visually see
19:49from upstairs
19:50in the press box
19:51the air
19:52Well,
19:53it's a good thing
19:54it wasn't against Baltimore.
19:56Better,
19:57better others than them.
19:59The air
19:59going out of
20:01Roger's body.
20:02The gasp.
20:04The Yankees
20:05clinched the pennant
20:05in game 154,
20:07but what mattered most
20:09was that
20:10Ruth's record
20:11was now safe.
20:12There were still
20:13eight more games
20:14remaining for Maris
20:15and home run
20:17number 60
20:17would come
20:18six days later
20:19in New York.
20:20A standing ovation
20:22for Roger Maris.
20:24When the game
20:25was over,
20:26they brought
20:26Mrs. Ruth
20:27down by the clubhouse
20:28and Raj,
20:29he whispered
20:30something in her ear.
20:31He said,
20:32Mrs. Ruth,
20:32don't feel badly.
20:33Nobody
20:34will replace
20:35the babe.
20:37On October 1st,
20:381961,
20:40the final day
20:41of the regular season,
20:42just over 23,000
20:44fans came to
20:45Yankee Stadium
20:45to see Roger
20:46break the immortal
20:48Babe Ruth's
20:49home run record
20:50in the fourth inning.
20:51I remember being there
20:52when he hit
20:52his 61st home run.
20:54No fooling,
20:55I was there.
20:56You never knew
20:56when to expect it,
20:57so whenever Roger
20:58came to bat,
20:59you were up for it,
20:59and each pitch
21:00meant so much.
21:02They're standing up,
21:04waiting to see
21:05if Maris is going
21:05to hit.
21:06Yeah,
21:06duh,
21:07of course you were there.
21:08I think when
21:08older people say
21:10they were at events,
21:12like it's
21:13unbelievable.
21:16It's probably
21:17like 75 cents
21:19to get,
21:19to get in,
21:21or something like that.
21:23Things are
21:24way cheaper
21:25than they are now.
21:27Of course you,
21:28of course you were there.
21:32Imagine the places
21:33I would be
21:34if things cost
21:35what they,
21:36used to cost.
21:40Number 61.
21:41Here's the wind-up.
21:43Fastball hit,
21:44keeps the light,
21:45this would be it.
21:46Way back there.
21:48Oh,
21:48how it is.
21:50What's going on?
21:52Holy cow.
21:54What a gun.
21:56I was so proud,
21:57and the way he acted,
21:59you know,
21:59run around the bases
22:00just like he always did.
22:02I even cried.
22:07I will never forget
22:08that after he shook hands
22:09with the bat boy
22:10and Yogi Berra,
22:11before he got to the dugout,
22:13one fan ran out
22:14onto the field
22:15and congratulated him.
22:17when I was 13
22:18and I wanted to be that fan
22:19and I still want
22:20to be that fan.
22:22When I came in,
22:23they just let that guy
22:24on the field
22:27and he just went
22:28back to his seat.
22:29Like,
22:29nothing happened.
22:31And of course,
22:31the people kept clapping
22:32and clapping,
22:33the guys trying to push me
22:34out of the dugout,
22:34and really,
22:35I was embarrassed
22:36to go out there.
22:42Everybody looked down
22:43on the bench at Roger,
22:44and Roger just sat
22:45in the same spot,
22:46and you could just see
22:47the sigh of relief.
22:49It's over.
22:51The fact that Maris
22:52would power the Yankees
22:53to another World Series
22:54in 61
22:56was somehow anticlimactic.
22:59Ironically,
23:00whatever Roger would do
23:01on the field
23:02from this point on
23:03would somehow
23:04pale in comparison
23:05to his new
23:07home run record.
23:10Broke that record.
23:12He was now
23:12the biggest name
23:13in baseball.
23:14So when spring training
23:15then rolled around,
23:17Roger wrongly thought
23:19that all of the media
23:21attention was going
23:22to stop.
23:23And in fact,
23:24it didn't.
23:25That's when
23:26he started to have
23:28conflicts with writers
23:29of many prominent
23:30columnists.
23:31And the conflict
23:31was rooted in the fact
23:32that he felt badly used.
23:34I don't feel I did
23:35anything with the media
23:37to get what they gave me.
23:40After an off-season
23:41of being in heavy demand,
23:42Roger reached
23:43his saturation point.
23:45Always more comfortable
23:46on the field,
23:47he hoped a strong showing
23:49in 62 would ease
23:50growing tensions
23:51with the media.
23:54as long as we were
23:55winning,
23:55he was happy.
23:56He had like 32,
23:5733 home runs.
23:58As far as he felt,
23:58he had a good year.
23:59But of course,
24:00it wasn't good enough
24:00for the writers
24:01and that bothered him
24:02a lot.
24:03The press labeled him
24:04flop of the year,
24:05so to speak.
24:06And I thought he had
24:07a tremendous year.
24:08Flop of the year.
24:10Even a strong performance
24:12in the World Series
24:13that year
24:13and a second straight title
24:15did little to prevent
24:16his downward spiral
24:17in New York.
24:20Roger's career
24:21with the Yankees
24:22really ended
24:23after the 1962 season.
24:26Physically,
24:27he seemed worn out.
24:29He wasn't the same
24:30player that he was.
24:32Truthfully,
24:33I think all the pressure
24:34had just worn him out.
24:37Mentally,
24:38mentally beat.
24:39Though he hit
24:3923 homers
24:40in just 90 games
24:42in 63,
24:43it was the first
24:43of four painful
24:44seasons to come.
24:46The years after 61,
24:48I think,
24:49were very hard
24:50because he did
24:51have a lot of injuries.
24:52The 63 World Series
24:54underscored
24:54Roger's difficulties.
24:56He was injured
24:57in game two
24:57and the Yanks
24:58got swept.
24:59The press pointed fingers
25:00and his status
25:01as a Yankee legend
25:02continued to diminish.
25:04As that happened
25:05in 62, 63,
25:08Maris was sort of
25:09a target.
25:10He began to get
25:12this reputation
25:13of being surly
25:14and nasty.
25:15And Roger
25:16wasn't like that
25:17at all.
25:18It was unfair
25:18because he was
25:19very popular
25:20for his teammates.
25:21He knew everyone
25:22liked Roger very much.
25:24He was great,
25:25but Roger,
25:27when I managed
25:27in 64,
25:29you know,
25:30Mickey got hurt.
25:31I had to put
25:32Mickey in right
25:32and I put Roger.
25:33He said,
25:34all right,
25:34put me out there,
25:35leave me alone.
25:37Always the team player,
25:39Roger did move
25:40to center
25:40and had a great year.
25:42the 64 World Series
25:44would be his final
25:45postseason
25:45in pinstripes.
25:46After an aging
25:47Yankee team
25:48lost in...
25:49Man,
25:50he really fell off
25:51the cliff.
25:51He never...
25:53He never even
25:54approached 30 home runs
25:56again after 63...
25:5862, sorry.
26:00...seven games,
26:01there were more
26:02injuries ahead
26:03for Roger.
26:04I really lost it
26:06in 65
26:06when I broke my hand
26:07because I lost
26:08the strength
26:08in these two fingers
26:09in the trying
26:10to swing a bat
26:12with only like
26:13a half a hand almost.
26:15You know,
26:15everything just went
26:16right downhill
26:16after I broke
26:17my hand there.
26:18A lot of people
26:19thought that
26:20he really wasn't
26:21given 100%
26:22and he was faking
26:23injuries or jaking
26:24a little bit
26:24and it turned out
26:25at the end of the year
26:26they found out
26:26that he had a broken
26:27bone in his hand
26:28that kept him
26:29from swinging the bat
26:30the way that he
26:30was capable of swinging.
26:32In 65 and 66,
26:34Maris played
26:34just 165 games
26:36and hit only
26:3721 home runs.
26:39It was soon clear
26:40that his time
26:41in New York
26:41was coming to an end.
26:43He was quite angry
26:45and alienated
26:46in that last part
26:48of his time
26:49in New York.
26:50The way it ended
26:51was really ugly.
26:53According to Roger,
26:54they had concealed
26:55an injury from him
26:56so that he would
26:57continue to play
26:58but boy,
26:59the estrangement
27:00was immediate
27:00and he couldn't
27:01get out of town
27:02fast enough.
27:02And what a terrible
27:04shame after all
27:05he'd contributed
27:06to the Yankees
27:07that it should
27:07end that way.
27:14The numbers
27:15diminished.
27:16He was unhappy
27:17with his situation
27:18and wanted out
27:19of the Big Apple.
27:20In 1966,
27:22July of 66,
27:23I went ahead
27:24and told the Yankees
27:25right at the
27:26All-Star break
27:26that I was not
27:27going to play
27:27in 67.
27:29But the Yankees
27:30didn't want word
27:31to get out
27:31that Maris was
27:32suddenly going
27:33to retire
27:33so they managed
27:34to trade him.
27:37He had fully
27:38decided to retire
27:40and then when
27:41we discussed
27:42the deal
27:42he agreed
27:43to go to
27:43St. Louis.
27:44Though St. Louis
27:45seemed perfect
27:46because he'd be
27:47close to his family
27:48in Kansas City,
27:49Roger was still
27:50reluctant to keep
27:51playing because
27:52of the relentless
27:53criticism by the media.
27:55I was getting
27:56ripped a lot
27:56by the press
27:57at that point
27:58so now
27:58I had to figure
28:00what I wanted
28:00to do
28:01whether I wanted
28:01to give them
28:02more ammunition
28:02to make me look bad
28:03or go ahead
28:04and play here.
28:05So I decided
28:05to go ahead
28:05and play here.
28:06He went to a franchise
28:08which recognized
28:09and appreciated
28:10his historic role.
28:13The manager
28:13of the Cardinals,
28:14Red Shandings,
28:15told Roger
28:16he would fit in
28:17very nicely
28:18with his group
28:19of players.
28:20We found out
28:21in a big hurry.
28:22Yeah,
28:23a lot of players
28:25like Bob Gibson
28:26and those guys
28:31Lou Brock too.
28:32I don't think
28:33they really cared
28:34about the media
28:35and St. Louis
28:37wasn't run
28:38by the media.
28:40What a good person
28:41Roger Maris was
28:42and what a good
28:43ball player he was.
28:44Mike Shannon
28:45is the key guy
28:46in that situation
28:47because Mike Shannon
28:49was willing
28:50to change positions,
28:52go to third base
28:53levels where he
28:54hadn't played
28:55and Mike Shannon
28:56showed me
28:57all the bruises
28:57on his chest
28:58when you play
28:59third base.
29:00You take a pounding
29:01and he said
29:01these all belong
29:02to Roger.
29:03He went to third base,
29:05Roger went to
29:06right field
29:06and he was
29:08wonderfully happy there.
29:10Happy on the field
29:11and at home.
29:12In 1967,
29:14Maris and his family
29:15had good times ahead.
29:17Those were two good years
29:18because we could go
29:19see him on the road trip
29:21when he was at home.
29:23He was happy with that
29:24because we were
29:25over in Kansas City.
29:26We could drive over
29:27and be over there
29:28and stay over there
29:28for the summer.
29:30Basically,
29:30the most important thing
29:33that stood out
29:33in my mind
29:34was playing
29:34the father-son games
29:36in St. Louis
29:36and that was
29:38just a blast.
29:39We'd get dressed up
29:40in our little
29:40Cardinal uniforms
29:41and all my brothers
29:43and I would go out
29:44there and play.
29:45Returning to the Midwest
29:46seemed to revitalize Maris
29:48and he was the final piece
29:50in the final
29:50Cardinals team
29:51going from 6th place
29:53to the World Series.
29:54And they won.
29:56I'm not worried
29:57about the Yankees
29:57as a person.
29:58I'm worried about
29:59the Cardinals
30:00and looking forward
30:01to the World Series.
30:02In the fall classic
30:04against Boston,
30:05he hit 385
30:06with a homer
30:06and seven RBI.
30:08Roger.
30:09385
30:09and he's struggling
30:10with all kinds
30:12of injuries.
30:12I wonder what
30:14the New York media
30:15thought of that
30:16while their Yankees
30:17were in
30:20what place
30:21in their
30:21in the A.O.
30:32Roger would earn
30:33his third World Series
30:35in 90
30:35and were second
30:37to last
30:37in the American League.
30:39Series ring
30:40behind the clutch
30:41Game 7 pitching
30:42of an unhittable
30:44Bob Gibson.
30:46The Cardinals win.
30:47They're the new
30:48world champion.
30:50After playing
30:51the one year
30:52it was an enjoyable year
30:53but even though
30:53I did help the ball club
30:55it was not the type
30:56of thing that I wanted
30:57to be doing.
30:58For Roger,
30:59it was time to look ahead
31:00to a future
31:01without baseball.
31:03The key
31:04to Roger's joy
31:06with the St. Louis
31:07Cardinals,
31:08his financial future
31:10was made secure
31:11by Gussie Bush,
31:13the owner
31:14of the Cardinals,
31:14the beer baron.
31:16Roger and his brother
31:17had been looking
31:18into trying to find
31:19a beer distributorship.
31:20He said that
31:21well if you play
31:21one more year
31:22for us,
31:23if one opens up
31:24we'll see that
31:25you can buy into that.
31:27So that's why
31:28he played another year.
31:29One more year,
31:30of course,
31:31meant one more
31:32World Series
31:33for Roger.
31:34And the 65th
31:36World Series
31:36of baseball
31:37is about to get
31:38underway.
31:39The 1968 World Series
31:41would be Roger's
31:42seventh and final
31:43fall classic.
31:45Unfortunately,
31:46the Cardinals
31:46would fall to Detroit
31:47in seven.
31:48Now,
31:49Roger could look ahead
31:50to his future
31:51as a businessman.
31:52When he retired
31:54in 68,
31:55he got a beer
31:56franchise in Florida,
31:58so his financial
31:59future was set.
32:01And we came
32:01to Gainesville.
32:03We hated
32:04leaving Kansas City,
32:06but you go
32:07where your livelihood
32:08is,
32:08and that's what
32:09we did.
32:16Really,
32:17I've enjoyed
32:17the business
32:18I'm in right now,
32:19selling Budweiser
32:22too much.
32:22I really haven't
32:23missed the baseball
32:24end of it.
32:25Coming to Florida
32:26was kind of nice.
32:29When we retired
32:30to Florida,
32:31he just felt like
32:32we got away
32:33from everything,
32:33which he really
32:34wanted to do.
32:35Man,
32:36those Roger
32:37man's genes
32:37are strong.
32:39Though he
32:39frequently visited
32:40friends at
32:41Cardinals spring
32:42training,
32:43Roger had put
32:43baseball behind
32:44him and was
32:45enjoying his
32:46retirement.
32:47But there was
32:48still lingering
32:48bitterness about
32:50the way he left
32:50New York.
32:51The Yankees
32:52had asked Roger
32:52to come back
32:53many times for
32:54Old Timer's Day
32:55or different
32:56festivities,
32:56but he just
32:57really didn't care
32:59to go back
32:59to Yankee Stadium.
33:00I used to
33:01invite him
33:01to Old Timer's
33:02Day every year
33:03and he would
33:04just say,
33:05I don't think
33:06so,
33:06Marty.
33:07It's just,
33:07I don't want
33:08to go back
33:08there and get
33:09booed.
33:10I think he was
33:11very concerned
33:11about going back
33:12about the reaction
33:13that they gave him
33:14because,
33:15you know,
33:16the terms that he
33:16left on
33:17weren't the best.
33:20In 1973,
33:21George Steinbrenner
33:22bought the Yankees.
33:23He was a fan
33:24of the rich history
33:25of the franchise
33:26and one of his
33:27goals was to get
33:28Roger to come
33:29back to Yankee
33:30Stadium.
33:31At that time,
33:32they were trying
33:32to build a high
33:33school baseball
33:35team here
33:35and we needed
33:37money for it.
33:38I said,
33:38what would it take
33:39to get you back
33:40up that I do
33:41for the school?
33:42And so Roger
33:43said,
33:43well,
33:43if I come back
33:44to Yankee Stadium,
33:46will you make
33:47a donation
33:48to this baseball
33:49field?
33:49He said,
33:50light the field
33:50for the new
33:51stadium,
33:52I'll come up.
33:53So he did
33:54and so that's
33:56when Roger
33:56went back.
33:57Unsure of how
33:58he'd be received,
33:59Roger was a
34:00surprise guest
34:01for the 1978
34:02home opener.
34:03It turned out
34:04to be a banner
34:05day.
34:06Mickey was there
34:07and the two of
34:08them walked out
34:08to center field,
34:09hoisted the
34:10world's championship
34:10flag.
34:11That was a great
34:11moment.
34:12They cheered him
34:13like I've never
34:13heard.
34:14I started crying.
34:15The bad feelings
34:16about New York
34:17were gone
34:18and there was
34:19nothing sweeter
34:20than seeing the
34:21Eminem boys
34:22together again.
34:24I wouldn't have
34:25wanted it any
34:25other way.
34:26I think baseball's
34:27man, that's nice.
34:30Now, what is he
34:31doing with that
34:31haircut in 1977?
34:34Been great to me.
34:35It was
34:36Fafa Roger
34:37because he really
34:39wanted to come
34:39back.
34:40All of the
34:41weight that he
34:42had carried
34:43from 1961 on
34:45seemed finally
34:47to go.
34:49Roger then
34:50became a fixture
34:51at Yankee
34:52Old Timers
34:52games.
34:53It was almost
34:54as if he'd
34:55never left.
34:56When he
34:57went back
34:58to Yankee
34:58Stadium and
35:00hung around
35:00with the guys,
35:01you could just
35:01tell that he
35:03was proud to
35:03be a Yankee.
35:06But then
35:07in 1983,
35:08doctors told
35:09Roger he had
35:10non-Hodgkin's
35:11lymphoma.
35:12Just hearing
35:13the word
35:13cancer, no
35:14one likes
35:14to hear that.
35:15Cancer hits
35:16where you
35:17least expect it.
35:17I was
35:18devastated.
35:19It's tough.
35:20It's tough.
35:22One year
35:22later, Marris
35:23returned to
35:24the Bronx for
35:25the ultimate
35:25Yankee honor.
35:26His number
35:27nine was
35:28retired.
35:29That was
35:30probably one
35:31of the most
35:32proud moments
35:33of his
35:34baseball career.
35:35This is a big
35:36highlight for
35:37me.
35:40I am very
35:41proud and
35:42very happy.
35:43It was good
35:44that it was
35:45done.
35:45You know,
35:46at the time
35:46it was done
35:47for him
35:47because it
35:48meant a lot
35:49to him.
35:51Yep, he
35:52deserved it.
35:53In December
35:54of 1985,
35:56Roger Eugene
35:57Marris lost
35:58his battle
35:59with cancer.
36:00It went in
36:01remission twice,
36:02but each time
36:03it came back
36:03worse, so we
36:04knew it wasn't
36:05going to be
36:06long.
36:07Cancer's a
36:08tough disease,
36:09and to watch
36:09somebody die,
36:10that's really
36:11tough.
36:12Roger's
36:13teammates were
36:14devastated by
36:15the loss of
36:15their very
36:16good friend.
36:18You know,
36:19truth, it was
36:19like losing
36:20my brother.
36:21Roger was
36:22a great man,
36:26a great
36:27father.
36:32I knew
36:33I'd do
36:33that.
36:35Several
36:36Yankee legends
36:37made the
36:38solemn sojourn
36:39to Fargo,
36:39North Dakota,
36:41braving the
36:42harsh winter
36:42elements to
36:43attend the
36:44funeral.
36:46Fargo,
36:46North Dakota,
36:47you know,
36:47it's way up
36:48there in the
36:48north,
36:48and not a
36:49lot of people
36:49go to North
36:49Dakota,
36:50but to be
36:50able to see
36:51all these
36:51people converge
36:52on one small
36:53town in North
36:54Dakota,
36:54just pay their
36:55last respects to
36:56him, I mean,
36:56it's pretty
36:57emotional.
36:57You felt like,
36:58well, they
36:58really cared
36:59about him.
37:01It was more
37:01of a tribute
37:03to Roger Marris,
37:04the person,
37:04than it was to
37:05Roger Marris,
37:06the ballplayer.
37:06If you can
37:07call a funeral
37:08a fine moment,
37:10Roger's funeral
37:10is one of the
37:11finest moments of
37:12his life because
37:13the way he
37:14faced death
37:15was with
37:16tremendous
37:16bravery.
37:20Roger's
37:21indomitable
37:22spirit and
37:22passion for
37:23the game
37:23lives on in
37:25Florida,
37:25where his
37:26son Kevin
37:26coaches high
37:27school baseball.
37:29I think it's
37:30pretty special
37:31to have the
37:31younger generation
37:33understand and
37:34kind of appreciate
37:41what dad did.
37:50It's special,
37:51you know,
37:52to be able to
37:52play on the
37:53field with your
37:53father's names on
37:54it.
37:55I remember me
37:56and dad and
37:57my brothers.
37:58Roger Marris
37:59in his
37:59rightful place
38:00in baseball's
38:02Hall of Fame.
38:02Mark McGuire
38:03did a tremendous
38:04job bringing
38:05attention back
38:06to my father.
38:12What?
38:13Everyone likes
38:14Mark McGuire.
38:15McGuire.
38:17Well,
38:17they liked him
38:18when he hit
38:18the home runs.
38:21And,
38:22uh,
38:23no,
38:23I don't know
38:23exactly.
38:24I don't think
38:25you know exactly
38:26what he went
38:26through because
38:28it's pretty
38:29hard to
38:30hit 61
38:31home runs
38:32or more
38:32when
38:33you're not
38:35on juice.
38:42For 37
38:44years,
38:44no one
38:45mounted a
38:45serious
38:46challenge to
38:46Roger Marris'
38:47single season
38:48home run
38:48record.
38:49But in
38:501998,
38:51the 61
38:51mark was
38:53in jeopardy.
38:54Everybody was
38:55thinking this
38:55is the year
38:56it's going to
38:56happen because
38:57it's an
38:57expansion year
38:58and the year
38:59that Marris
39:00did it was
39:01an expansion
39:01year.
39:02Here's
39:02McGuire,
39:03the pitch.
39:04Swing and
39:05his third
39:05home run
39:06of the
39:06night.
39:07It's going
39:07to go
39:07into the
39:08upper deck.
39:08Wow.
39:09I was the
39:10man tab
39:10since January
39:12of that year
39:13to break
39:14the record.
39:15Big Mac
39:16quickly fulfilled
39:17those early
39:18expectations,
39:19launching long
39:20balls at a
39:21pace well
39:22ahead of
39:22Roger's magic
39:23run in
39:2461.
39:25And the
39:262-1 pitch.
39:27Breaking
39:27ball hit deep
39:28to left field.
39:29number 50
39:31for Mark
39:32McGuire.
39:33But just
39:34as Marris
39:35had mantel,
39:36Mark
39:36McGuire had
39:37Sammy Sosa
39:38who hit an
39:39amazing 20
39:40homers in
39:41June.
39:42Swung on,
39:42there's a
39:43drive,
39:43deep toward
39:44left,
39:44and Sosa
39:45has another
39:47home run.
39:47I'm and Sosa
39:48that was so
39:50much fun to
39:50watch that I
39:52know Roger
39:52would have
39:53just loved
39:53it.
39:54What a show
39:55these two guys
39:56are putting
39:56on.
39:56Man,
39:57old man,
39:58you just
39:59couldn't
39:59write it
39:59any better.
40:01Every night
40:02I go home
40:03and I'm
40:03trying to
40:03watch
40:04baseball
40:04tonight's
40:04percent
40:05and trying
40:05to see
40:05what
40:05McGuire
40:06do.
40:09Here's
40:10the pitch.
40:11Swing it.
40:12There it
40:12goes.
40:13Wake up
40:14Babe Ruth.
40:15There's
40:15company coming.
40:17It's
40:17Mark
40:17McGuire.
40:1860.
40:19With
40:19number 60.
40:22McGuire
40:22got what
40:23this meant
40:24to baseball
40:25and the
40:26fact that
40:26McGuire
40:26connected
40:27to the
40:27Marris
40:28family
40:28as he
40:29got close
40:29to this
40:30record
40:30helped
40:31him.
40:32Marks
40:32really
40:32brought
40:33Roger
40:34Marris
40:35the
40:35ball
40:35player
40:35and
40:36Roger
40:36Marris
40:36the
40:36person
40:37to
40:37light.
40:38In the
40:38same
40:39city
40:39where
40:39Roger
40:40ended
40:40his
40:41career,
40:41McGuire
40:42was destined
40:43to make
40:43history.
40:44Big
40:44move set
40:45to go.
40:46The pitch.
40:47Swung on
40:47Belton.
40:48There it
40:48goes.
40:49There it
40:50goes.
40:50He
40:51did it.
40:52McGuire's
40:52flight 61
40:53headed for
40:55Planet Marris
40:57history.
40:59Detlef.
41:00What a
41:01moment.
41:02Pardon me
41:02while I
41:03stand up
41:04and applaud.
41:05In front
41:06of the
41:06Marris
41:07family and
41:07the world,
41:09Mark
41:09personally
41:10saluted
41:10Roger.
41:11He pointed
41:12up to the sky,
41:13tapped his
41:13heart, and the
41:14way I interpreted
41:15that was his
41:16acknowledging
41:16dad, saying
41:17dad was in
41:18his heart.
41:19In such a
41:20big moment in
41:20Mark McGuire's
41:21life, to
41:22include that in
41:23that special
41:24moment was
41:24something we'll
41:26never forget.
41:28Next for
41:28Big Mac,
41:29number 62,
41:31making him the
41:32all-time single
41:33season home run
41:34king.
41:35First pitch,
41:36rocket, deep
41:37toward left.
41:38He did it!
41:39He did it!
41:40Number 62
41:42for Mark
41:44McGuire.
41:45A
41:46favorite
41:47history and a
41:48magical moment
41:49in St.
41:50Louis.
41:53For him to
41:54acknowledge our
41:55family and
41:56then point to
41:57the skies and
41:58say, you know,
41:58your dad's in
41:59my heart and
41:59that was just
42:00something that
42:01will stay with
42:02me forever.
42:04Equally
42:04touching was
42:05the sight of
42:06McGuire leaving
42:07the field to
42:08embrace Roger's
42:09family in the
42:10stands.
42:12No one hopes
42:13any more than
42:13Mark McGuire
42:14that this will
42:14put Roger
42:15Marris in his
42:17rightful place
42:18in baseball's
42:19Hall of Fame.
42:21When McGuire
42:22came over and
42:23came back out
42:24of the dugout
42:24and gave us
42:25all a hug,
42:26I was too
42:27choked up to
42:28even say
42:28anything.
42:30As I went
42:31over...
42:32McGuire is a
42:33good guy.
42:36It's a shame
42:37about the other
42:37stuff, but he's
42:38a good guy.
42:39...to the box
42:40and talks to
42:41Roger's kids.
42:42I told them
42:43today when I
42:43met with the
42:43Hall of Fame,
42:44they pulled out
42:45Roger's bat when
42:46he had his
42:4661st home run.
42:50And I touched
42:51it.
42:51and I touched
42:52it with my
42:52heart.
42:53Now I can
42:54honestly say
42:55that my bat
42:55will lie next
42:56to his and
42:56I'm damn
42:57proud of it.
42:59What Mark's
43:00done really
43:00is it's kind
43:01of elevated
43:02dad to a new
43:02plateau and
43:04it's given him
43:05I think the
43:06do that he
43:07never really
43:07got.
43:08I think it's
43:09brought a lot
43:09of attention
43:10back to dad
43:11and making
43:11people realize
43:12just what a
43:13great feat
43:13that was.
43:15As much as
43:16Roger Marris,
43:17the ballplayer,
43:17we cherish
43:18keeping the
43:18record, he'd be
43:19very proud of
43:20Mark for
43:21achieving that
43:22success.
43:23Just three
43:24years later,
43:25more home run
43:26history.
43:27There's a high
43:27run, deep in the
43:29right center field
43:29to the big part of
43:30the ballpark,
43:32number 71.
43:34Barry Bonds is the
43:36new king of the
43:38home run world.
43:40Barry Bonds
43:41understood the
43:42magnitude of his
43:43achievement and
43:44what Roger Marris
43:45had gone through
43:46some 40 years
43:47before him.
43:50I believe that
43:50his situation
43:52was well
43:53tougher than
43:54ours because
43:54no one in
43:56our generation
43:56has a crown
43:57on their head.
43:58The only one
43:59who ever had a
43:59crown on their
44:00head is Babe
44:00Ruth.
44:01So, I mean,
44:02that's pretty
44:02hard to deal
44:03with when you're
44:04knocking what
44:05the Yankee
44:05families consider
44:06their king's
44:07record down.
44:09Thank you,
44:10Barry Bonds
44:10for telling
44:12the truth.
44:14Since the
44:15Babe bashed 60
44:16homers in
44:171927, three
44:19other men have
44:19been crowned the
44:20single season
44:21home run king.
44:22But it was
44:23Roger Marris who
44:24held the crown
44:25the longest, 37
44:26years.
44:27And who knows,
44:28that is one
44:29legacy he just
44:31might hold on to
44:32forever.
44:33Besides his
44:34home run
44:35exploits, Marris
44:36was a true
44:37all-around player.
44:38League MVP's
44:39three championships,
44:40seven World
44:41Series appearances.
44:42I don't know
44:44too many people
44:44with that resume
44:45who are not in
44:46the Hall of Fame.
44:49Everybody should
44:50think about it.
Comments